Fertilizer-distributer.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. ELSOM. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED 113.7. 1906.

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fg il No. 836,375. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. ELSGM.

PERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. '7. 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 836,375. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

W. J. BLSOM. PERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER;

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 7. 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. J. ELSOM.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

PERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1906.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ATTORNE y.

No. 836,375. PATENTED Nov. zo, 1906.

` W. J. ELsoM.

PERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. ICLSUM. OF CORTLANI),

PATENT orricn.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR, 'l`() GEORGE Il.

GARHISON ANI) CHARLES M. DE VANY, UF CORTLANI), NEW YORK.

FERTILIZER-DISTFH BUTEFL` Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

To 11]/ n'lm'llt lmuy concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. ELsoM, of Cortland, in the county ol`(ortland, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful,Improvements in Fertilizer-Distributers, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andexact description.

'l`his invention relates to the class of fertilizer-distributers inwhich the vehicle which carries the fertilizers is provided with a lon-`itudinally-movable a )ron in the bottom of the \v*ehielebody for thepurpose of moving the fertilizer to the distributing rear end of thebody and which apron is subsequently reversed in its movement to returnto its normal position for receiving another supply of fertilizer.

'Ihe chief object of this invention is to provide the machine withsuitable means for automatically arresting the movement of the apron atits loading position .in the body and' at the end of its dischargingposition; and to that end the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of the compo nent parts of the arrestingmechanisms and auxiliary devices employed in connection therewith, ashereinafter described, and summed up in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of oppositesides of a fertilizer-distributer embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is anenlarged view of the mechanisms which transmit motion to the apron,shown partly in section. Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of theapron in its positions at the beginning and end of its rearwardmovement. Fig. 6 is a rear end elevation of themechanisms fortransmitting motion from the beater-shaft to the rear shaft of thechain'- wheels which carry the apron. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view ofthe clutch mechanism which controls the movement of the apron, and Fig.8 is a fragmentary face view of the gear-wheel which is adapted totransmit variable speed to one of the mechanisms which actuate theapron.

A denotes the body of the vehicle which carries the fertilizer to bedistributed upon' the field.

B is one of the rear traction-wheels of the vehicle.

C is the longitudinally-movable apron or bottom of the. body A, whichapron is in the present ease of a slightly greater length than the bodyA and has mounted on its front end the follow-board D. (Shown in Figs. 4and 5 of the drawings.)

a, represents one of the endless chamshto which are attached thetransverse slats which form the apron.V

l) and b are the wheels upon which the chain (1I is carried. The rearWheel b is fastened to the transverse shaft b2, which I term theapron-shaft, while the front Wheel b is mounted loosely on the shaft b3.

The apron C is required to travel back and forth to discharge thefertilizer at the rear end of the body A, as represented in Fig. 5, andthen return to a osition to serve as the bottom or floor of said bodypreparatory to loading the body with fertilizer, as shown in Fig. 4. Toautomatically arrest the movements of the apron at its arrivals at itsextreme inner and outer position on the machine, I employ mechanismswhich are actuated by the travel of the apron, as herein presentlyexplained. l

The forward movement of the apron C to a position to close the bottom ofthe body A, I derive from the shaft c of the beater F, which has a rapidrotary motion transmitted to it by means of a gear-wheel Bl actuated bythe traction-wheel B, preferably at the left-hand side of the machine,as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The said gear-wheel meshes with apinion B2, which is fastened to or formed in` tegral with asprocket-wheel B3, mounted on a stub-shaft c', projecting from asuitable bracket (not shown) attached to the side of the body A. Asmaller sprocket-wheel B4 is attachedto the beater-shaft c and connectedwith the sprocket-wheel B3 by a drive-chain c2.

At the right-hand side of the machine are two sprocket-wheels d d',mounted loosely on the shaft b and disposed a sufficient distance apartto admit between them a duplex clutchcollar e, which is mounted movablyon the apron-shaft b and is provided internally with a longitudinalgroove engaging a spline e3 on the shaft. The clutch-faces e e2 onopposite ends of the collar e are formed reverse to each other andadapted to -engage one at a time the clutch members e4 and e5, formed onthe sides of the sprocket-wheels d and d', respectively. A centralpositon of the clutch-col- IOO the end of the shaft b.

lar e between the said clutch members prevents engagements of saidparts, and thus the clutch-collar and apron-shaft remain at rest. At thesame side of the machine the beater-shaft c has attached to it agear-wheel f, and parallel with this shaft is a stub-shaft c', on whichis pivoted an eccentric c2. (Shown in Figs. l and 3.) Upon the hub ol'this eccentric is revolu bly mounted a gear c, to the side of which isrigidly secured a sprocket-wheel c4, connected by drive-chain c5 withthe sprocket-wheel l on the apronshalt b, as shownin Fig. (i. By turningthe eccentric c2 the wheel c is thrown in and out of gear with thewheelf, and thus the motion ol' the sprocket-wheel d is controlled. Thesaid turning of the eccentric is ell'ected automatically, as hereinafterdescribed.

For iin parting rearward movement to the apron C, I preferably employmechanisms similar to those shown in the Letters Patent No. 789,498,dated May 9, 1905, which consist of the disk or annular plate 0, mountedon the axle '.l of the rear traction-wheels B and rotating with saidwheels. Theinnerface of the said disk has projecting from it concentricrows of teeth t t, which rows are arranged with blank annular s aces tbetween them, as shown in Fig. 8 o the drawings. Radially across thetoothed side of the disk O is a shaft g, whlch is pivoted at oppositeends in bearings secured to a bracket I, firmly attached to the side ofthe body A.

On the shaft g is mounted a pinion i, which is movable lengthwise videdin its hub with a longitudinal groove which engages a spline on theshaft. By slidin the said pinion toward and from the aXis o the disk Oit is caused to engage different rows of teeth t, and thus vary thespeed of rotation of the pinion. This shifting of the inion is effectedby means of a hand-lever?, ivoted to the front portion of the body A anconnected by a rod t" to one of the arms of a bell-crank 112, whoseother arm is bifurcated and connected to trunnions on a ring j, seatedloosely in a groove in the hub of the pinion i, as shown in Figs. 1 and3 of the drawings.

To the outer end of the shaft g is fastened a worm g, which engages agear g2, mounted lon a stub-shaft g3, projecting from vthe bracket I. Tothe side of the gear g2 is fastened a sprocket-wheel g, which by asprocket-chain g5 is connected to the sprocket-wheel d on 'Thissprocket-wheel is thus revolved reverse from the sprocketwheel d on thesaid shaft. When the clutchcollar e is in engagement with the clutchmember e4 on the wheel d, the shaft b is turned in a direction whichcauses the a ron C to travel forward, which movement 1s derived frombeater-shaft c by the mechanisms hereinbefore described, and thus theapron C is moved at a considerable speed to position to vsecured to thebody A.

thereof and` is pro-` close the bottom of the bod A. By then shiftingthe clutch-collar c to its neutral position the apron is left-in saidposition'.

'lhe shifting of the clutch-collar e to its neutral position is effectedautomaticallyby the movement ofthe apron through the instrumentality oftwo trip-levers lr and k', pivoted to the body A respectively at landl', as shown 'in Figs. l, 4, and 5. 'lhe trip-lever lr is located at thefront ol' the body and extended upward l'rom its fulcrum to render itconveniently accessible for thc operator or driver of the machine torest-ore said lever and its cooperating lever lc to their requiredposition for being actuated by the traveling apron. The trip-levers cand r are connected to each other by means of a rod Z2, so as to operatein unison. At a suitable distance from the rear end of the machine is arockshaft m, mounted in bearings on the body A, as shown in Fig. 7 ofthe drawings. To this shaft is attached an arm'm, which is connected bya rod m2 to the tri p-lever c. lo the outer end of the rock-shaft m isri idly attached a collar n, which is provide( with a fixed crank n andwith a circumferential groove n2, which extends obliquely around thecollar. The said crank is connected by a rod 0 to an arm o, whichprojects laterally from the eccentric c2.

A lever p is fulcrumed at or near the center of its length on a bracket7)', which is rigidly Each end of said lever is bifurcated and rovidedon the inner sides of the prongs wit lugs r r, as indicated by dottedlines 1n Fig. 7. The lugs' of one end of the lever 7) engage the grooven2 in the collar n, while the lugs of the opposite end of the leverengage a circumferential groove p? in the clutch-collar e.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The apron C being inposition to form the bottom of the body A, as shown in Fig. 4, andloaded with the fertilizer, the operator moves the lever J into aposition which throws the pinion i out of engagement with the teeth t ofthe disk O, and thus leaves the apron C dormant in the aforesaidposition during the time of taking the machine to the field designed toreceive the fertilizer. The beater F is also retained at rest duringsaid time by the operator setting the lever L into a position whichthrows the gear-wheel B out of engagement with the traction-wheel B bymeans of suitable clutch mechanism actuated by arod s, connected to theleverL. (Shownin Fig. 2.) The said clutch mechanism may be of anysuitable and well-known construction. When the apron C is in theaforesaid position, the bracket u,which supports the follow-board D,presses on the end of an arm u', attached to the trip-lever lr, abovethe fulcrum thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. Said pressure throws the lever7c to a position whlch causes the lower end thereof to push thetrip-lever c into a ICO essen l rearwardl 't-iiiclin'ed position byineens of the rod l ax atthe same time causes the rod m to push thecarryr the lugs r r lof the front end of the lever p midway in thediagonal groove n of the collar n, and thus 'cause the opposlte end ofthe lever p to collar is retained while the machine loaded withfertilizeris conveyed to. the'eld in which the fertilizer lis to bedistributed.

Upon its arrival thereat the operator sets the levers J and L inpositions to transmit motions from the disk O to the loosely-mounted nsprocket-wheel d and from the tractionwheel B on the o posite side ofthe machine to the beater-sha t and thence Ato thelooselymountedsprocket-wheeld'. :Then the oper-v ator resses by his foot the upper endof the tripever Ic farther .forward om where it was left bythe pressureapplied to the arm Iu. by the bracket u. The said further thrust of thelever k throws the clutch=collar e into engagement with the clutchmembere5 on the sprocket-wheel d', and thus causes said wheel the apronto impart motion to the shaft' b, which moves C rearward to dischargethe fertilizer through the rear end of the body A. In said movement.ofthe apron it becomes inverted at said end of the body, and thevinverted portion is carried forward beneath the body A, where the frontend oflsaid inverted apron comes in contact with the trip-lever` k asshown in Fig. 5, .and 4pushes the same mto a forwardlyfinclined positionat the time when the entire load of fertilizer .has been discharged fromthe body movement of the trip-lever 7c tilts the arm mvforward bymeans'of the rod m. This: tilting of said arms turns the collar 'n so asto cause it to push the lever p into a position which throws theclutch-collar 'e out of ention of the apron.

gagement with the clutch member es and into 4. and thus arrests themoits neutral' position,

The operator then, by means of the trip-lever c, moves the rod m2 toturn the collar 'n so .as to cause the lever to throw the clutch e intoengagement wit the wheel d, which receives acomparatively rapid motionfrom the beater-shaft and returns the apron C` to its original positionin thebody A. In arriving'V at said position the apron is again arrestedby the hereinbeforedescribed action of the trip-lever k, which againshifts the clutch-collar e so as to re- 'l lease both clutch .membersAof the sprocketthe pinion c3 fon the beater-shaft c. ready to bestarted with another load of fer? wheels d and d. Simultaneously withthis action the crank n on the'grooved collar n turns the eccentric c2.suiiciently to throw out of engagement with the gear The achine is thenmeer to the-eeld/uon which it is .to be distributed.

armm rearward sufficiently to hold the clutch-collar e out ofenglagement with both clutchv members ean e In this condition the said*clutch-l A. The said `What I claim as my invention t beater-shaft andl,the reci rocatmg of mechanisms actuatedby t e beaterelling the apron.1n a forward wheel, a ron, s aft and pro .ward direction, ted by thetraveling apron and controlling the aforesaid mechanisms. y

2. -The combination mechanisms actuated by the beater-shaft thetraction-whos mechanisms actuated by posite.

and rotating` the apron-shaft in the o direction, trip-levers connectedto .eac toA move simultaneousl at thei limits vofits travels, means'actuated by` the trip-leversfand depriving .the apron# levers to theiroperative position and disposed to be operated by the.l` attendant ofthe jmachine. j i

3. vThe combination,l withtliez'body, the reciprocating apron, andmechanisms transmitting motion to said apron, of clutch mech'- anismsfor operating the transmitting mechanisms alternately, `tripping devicesdisposed to be actuated y limit the movements thereof, a rock-shaftmounted in bearings on the body, means for .transmittingj'l motion fromthe tripping devices tothe rock-shaft, a diagonallygrooved engaging the'groove of said'collar and-actu-` ated thereby to shift the clutchmechanisms as set forth. 'v v 4. The combination 'with the"tractionwheel,- apron-shaft and beater-shaft, of agear .attached to thebeater-shaft, a. pinion supported movably to and from engagementmechanism transmitting motion from the beater-shaft tothe apron in theopposite didirection, mec anisms actuated'by the .trac-` with thetractionwheel,l apron.- shaft and .beater shaft of v and rotating theapron-shaft in one directioni l other. `'and actuated by contactwiththe-ends o theftraveling apronV with said gear, mechanismtransmitting mo 1. The combinationVwith-the traction-5 tion-wheel andmoving the apronin a rearand tripping devicesleotuashaft of transmissionof motion'lfromlthe-A 'l aforesaid mechanisms, and alever affixed to.'

one of the trip-leversfor restoring the trip# the travelingV apron to i'vl OO collar attached-to the rock-shaft, and a lever lofl be actuated byI 2 5 ing apron, tractionewheel and beater-shaft of 'i ymechanismtransmitting motion from the traction-wheel to the apron in onedirection,

rection, clutch mechanisms controlling said transmitting mechanisms, alever pivotally supported on the vehicle-body and adapted to shift theclutch mechanisms, trip-levers pivoted to the body and actuated by thetravel of the apron, and rods connecte-d to said levers and 'actuatinthe shifting-lever. v 6. The combination with the body, apronshaft andbeater-shaft, a gear fastened to the Isprocket-wheel, means for I shaftto the saidshaft, trip-levers actuated vattached to the beater-sha.trip-levers to their o by the apron to limit the movements thereof, andmeans actuated by the trip-levers and turning the aforesaid eccentricand thereby throwing the adjacent gear in and out of engagement with thegear on the beater-shaft I as set forth.

7. The combination with the tract-ion- Wheels and apron-shaft, of wheelsmounted f loosely on the apron-shaft, mechanisms transmitting motion tosaid loosely-mounted Wheels in op osito directions from each other, aclutch sli 1 l on the apron-shaft between said Wheels aii splined on theshaft, trip-levers disposed to be actuated by contact with the ends ofthe traveling apron atv the limits of its' movements, means actuated bysaid trip-levers and moving the clutch out of engagement with bothloosely-mountedvwheels, and a lever disposed to be operated by theattendant' of the machine and restoring the' erative position andsimultaneously throwing the clutch into engagernent with one of theloosely-mounted ee s. v

8. The combination with the apron-shaft and beater-shaft, of asprocket-Wheel mounted loosely on the apron-shaft and having a clutchmember fastened to it, a gear-Wheel a stub-shaft parallel with thebeater-shaft, an eccentric pivoted on said stub-shaft and provided witha laterally-projecting arm, apinion mounted loosely on the eccentric andengaging the ear on the beater-shaft, a sprocket-wheel astened to saidpinion and'connected by a sprocket-chain to the sprocket-wheel on theagron-shaft, a clutch-collar mounted mova ly on said a ron-shaft andengaging a spline, a rock" aft provided with an arm and with anobliquely-grooved collar formed with a crank, a rod. connecting saidcrank with the arm of the aforesaid eccentric, a lever enga ing thecollar` and throwing the clutch-'co var in and-out of e agement,triplevers actuated by the trave of the a ron, and arod connecti saidtri -levers wit the arm of the rock-sha as set orth.

9. The `combinati-on with the tractionwheel, -apron-sl'iaft andbeater-shaft, two sprocket-Wheels mounted loosely on theyallliron-sh'aft and provided with reverseaped clutch members on theiradjacent sides, a gear-wheel attached to the beatershaft, a stub-shaftparallel with the beatershaft, an eccentric pivoted on said stub-shaftand provided with a laterally-projecting arm,

a pinion mounted loosely on said eccentric and engaging the gear on thebeater-shaft, a sprocket-wheel fastened to said pinion and connected bchain to one of the sprocketwheels ont e a ron-shaft, a clutch-collarmounted movab y on the apron-shaft between the two sprocket-wheelsthereof and engaging a splineon the shaft, mechanisms 4transmittingmotion from the traction-wheel to the other sprocket-wheel on theapronshaft, a rockshaft provided with an arm and 'an obliquely-groovedcollar formed with a crank, a rod connecting said crank with the arm yofthe aforesaid eccentric, a lever actuated by the grooved collar to throwthe clutchdcollar in and out of en agement, triplevers actuated by thetrave of the apron, and a rod connecting said trip-levers with the armof the rock-shaft substantially as: set

forth.

.WILLIAM J. ELSM. l [L s.]

Witnesses:

L. D. GARDINER, L. M. ODONNELL;

